(CNN) -- Friends and strangers across the country gathered on the streets and in schools, churches, bars and auditoriums to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama as the first African-American president of the United States. A diverse crowd in Los Angeles, California, cheers as Barack Obama takes the oath of office Tuesday. "It's a great day to be an American," iReporter Roger Germann said at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, where revelers watched the inauguration on television monitors among exhibits of sharks and otters. Tuesday's inauguration brought together Americans from different walks of life, united in their hope that Obama will deliver on his promise to change the nation's course. Click the links to read views on President Obama's inauguration from people across the country.

Reaction to speech What Obama means to

OPTIONS:
- African Hopes for Obama
- American Hopes for Obama
- Americans Hopes for Obama
- Barack Obama Hopes for Obama
- CNN Hopes for Obama
- California Hopes for Obama
- Chicago Hopes for Obama
- Earth Hopes for Obama
- Los Angeles Hopes for Obama
- New York Hopes for Obama
- Obama Hopes for Obama
- Republican Hopes for Obama
- Roger Germann Hopes for Obama
- Shedd Aquarium Hopes for Obama
- United States Hopes for Obama
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American Hopes for Obama


Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (CNN) -- Cement-block walls are being built around the shantytowns of Rio de Janeiro. Authorities say it's to save rainforests. The city's poorest residents say it's an attempt to shut them out. When Francisco de Moraes looks at the wall, it angers him. He has one of the best views of Rio, overlooking the city, its shimmering beaches and Sugarloaf Mountain jutting from the sea. "We don't have the right to have our opinion heard," he said. He speaks during a break from a soccer game on a makeshift cement field that's wedged in by the wall. The "eco-wall," as officials call it, runs up next to his house and around most of the Santa Marta shantytown where he and about 7,000 others live.

Founded by squatters looking for work in the big city, shantytowns like

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- Brazil are not even on most maps.
- CNN are not even on most maps.
- Francisco de Moraes are not even on most maps.
- Rio are not even on most maps.
- Rio de Janeiro are not even on most maps.
- Santa Marta are not even on most maps.
- Sugarloaf Mountain are not even on most maps.
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Santa Marta are not even on most maps.


The long-dormant Middle East peace efforts got new life on Friday. An agreement has been reached that "establishes a basis for resuming direct final status negotiations between" Palestinians and Israel, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in Amman, Jordan. "This is a significant and welcome step forward," Kerry said. This came as Kerry visited the Middle East this week and came up with a formula for reanimating peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian territories, a source close to the talks said. He has been working intensely with the Palestinian side to get them on board. Earlier Friday, in a meeting in Amman, Jordan, Kerry presented the plan to Palestinian chief peace negotiator Saeb Erakat in hopes that it will entice the Palestinians back to the negotiating table.

If everything goes as expected, representatives for the two sides will join

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- Amman in Washington "for initial talks within the next week or so, and a further announcement will be made by all of us at that time."
- Gaza in Washington "for initial talks within the next week or so, and a further announcement will be made by all of us at that time."
- Hamas in Washington "for initial talks within the next week or so, and a further announcement will be made by all of us at that time."
- Israel in Washington "for initial talks within the next week or so, and a further announcement will be made by all of us at that time."
- John Kerry in Washington "for initial talks within the next week or so, and a further announcement will be made by all of us at that time."
- Jordan in Washington "for initial talks within the next week or so, and a further announcement will be made by all of us at that time."
- Kerry in Washington "for initial talks within the next week or so, and a further announcement will be made by all of us at that time."
- Middle East in Washington "for initial talks within the next week or so, and a further announcement will be made by all of us at that time."
- Palestinian in Washington "for initial talks within the next week or so, and a further announcement will be made by all of us at that time."
- Palestinian Authority in Washington "for initial talks within the next week or so, and a further announcement will be made by all of us at that time."
- Palestinians in Washington "for initial talks within the next week or so, and a further announcement will be made by all of us at that time."
- Saeb Erakat in Washington "for initial talks within the next week or so, and a further announcement will be made by all of us at that time."
- U.S. in Washington "for initial talks within the next week or so, and a further announcement will be made by all of us at that time."
- Washington in Washington "for initial talks within the next week or so, and a further announcement will be made by all of us at that time."
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John Kerry in Washington "for initial talks within the next week or so, and a further announcement will be made by all of us at that time."